The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and several other countries have signed an AI security agreement put forward by the Council of Europe (COE), an international standards organization and human rights organization. This landmark agreement, known as the Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, was opened for signature in Vilnius, Lithuania. It is the first legally binding international agreement aimed at ensuring that AI systems are compatible with democratic values.
The agreement focuses on three main areas: protecting human rights (including privacy and preventing discrimination), protecting democracy, and upholding the rule of law. It also provides a legal framework that covers the entire lifecycle of AI systems, encourages innovation, and manages potential risks.
Besides the US, the UK and the EU, other signatories to the agreement include Andorra, Georgia, Iceland, Norway, Moldova, San Marino, and Israel. It is noteworthy that there are not many large countries from Asia and the Middle East, as well as Russia, but any country will be eligible to join it in the future as long as it undertakes to comply with its provisions, according to the statement of the European Council.
“We must ensure that the rise of AI is in line with our values, rather than undermining them,” COE secretary-general Marija Pejčinović Burić said in a statement. “The Framework Convention is designed to ensure just that. It is a robust and balanced text – the result of an open and inclusive approach to writing that ensured it benefited from a wide range of perspectives and expertise.
The agreement will enter into force three months after the five signatories, including at least three member states of the Council of Europe, ratify it. The COE agreement joins other recent efforts to regulate AI including the UK’s AI Security Conference, the Hiroshima AI Process led by the G7, and the UN’s AI resolution.
Source link
